Polish Jews Raised 35% of Defense Loan

May 19, 1939

WARSAW (May. 18)

The Jewish population, numbering about 10 per cent of Poland’s population, raised from 30 to 35 per cent of the Government’s recent air defense loan, it was estimated today by newspapers and Jewish economic organizations. Official figures on the loan have not yet been published, but the amount raised was believed to total roughly 400,000,000 zlotys(about $80,000,000). The sum raised by the Jews was between 120,000,000 and 140,000,000 zlotys (between $24,000,000 and $28,000,000).

Before the closing of subscriptions to the loan, a section of the press had accused the Jews of insufficient participation, but after the closing Polish newspapers such as the Kurjer Poranny stated that in the latter period the Jews had fully participated in the subscriptions, thus fulfilling to a great extent their duties as citizens.